Driving abroad… what do I need and which countries am I covered to drive my car in?

When you insure your car with LV= comprehensive insurance, as well as being covered to drive anywhere in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, you also have the same level of cover to drive in the European Union, and other countries that follow EU directives.

Here's a complete list of countries you can drive in:

• Andorra, Austria,
• Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
• Canary Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
• Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,
• Germany, Gibraltar, Greece,
• Hungary, Iceland, Italy,
• Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
• Malta, Monaco, Montenegro,
• Netherlands, Norway,
• Poland, Portugal, Romania,
• San Marino, Serbia , Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
• Vatican State.

We can also insure you in the following countries if you ask us beforehand:

• Albania, Morocco, Turkey.

We can't insure you to drive in these countries:

• Azerbaijan, Belarus,
• Iran, Israel,
• Macedonia, Moldova,
• Russia, Tunisia, Ukraine.

Your cover is valid for a maximum of 180 days in your policy year. This limit doesn’t apply to any time spent in the Republic of Ireland.

If you exceed this limit, you’ll no longer be covered. Sometimes there can be hold ups beyond your control (at a border crossing, for example) so if you think you’ll need to extend your cover, please let us know. It’s important to plan ahead.

The Republic of Ireland is still within our Territorial Limits and you are covered as normal, the 180 days foreign use limit does not apply.

For customers living in Northern Ireland wishing to swap to a Republic of Ireland licence, we will record this as an EU licence, just let us know and we’ll update your policy.

If you have LV= Car Insurance, please call us from abroad on (+)44 1689 898 603.

If your car is safe to drive you can continue with your journey and if your policy documents show you have Foreign use we'll arrange for it to be repaired when you get home.

If your car isn't driveable the local police often arrange to move your car. If they don't, you can arrange to take it to a nearby garage. You'll need to pay for this so keep any receipts and if your schedule shows you have Foreign use we'll pay you back.

It's best to call us first on (+)44 1689 898 603 to talk through the options.

If you leave your car somewhere, don't forget to take all your belongings with you.

We'll deal with your claim as quickly as we can, but accidents abroad can often take longer to sort out than if you were in the UK because we use agents and claims are dealt with differently overseas.

If you have any queries after making the claim please call us on 0330 678 5577.

Lines open:
8am - 8pm Monday to Friday
9am - 5pm Saturday and bank holidays
10am - 4pm Sunday

Calls will be recorded. For Text Phone first dial 18001